Youth soccer coach Manuel Perez had a feeling his team would be invited to play in one of California’s premier events of the summer.

He was right, and the Redlands Boys Under 14 Extra team was ready for the 2014 AYSO National Games in Riverside.

The team won eight of its nine games to produce an impressive second-place finish.

“The team really did an outstanding job of coming together and really played as a united team,” Perez said. “What is really nice is that the team really learned a lot about teamwork. That was a strength for us.”

The AYSO National Games is celebrating its 50th year and staged games in Torrance and Riverside. It concluded on Sunday.

“What is really great about the Games, and you don’t see it too much in a regular tournament, is that it really looks at sportsmanship,” Perez said. “It isn’t just about beating the other team, it’s about character and respect. It’s a different atmosphere.”

The field included teams from Hawaii and several other states.

“One thing you get to see is teams you wouldn’t normally get to play,” Perez said. “We saw teams from all over.”

Teams received invitation by region.

“It was something I was shooting for,” Perez said. “I told the commissioner if we got the invitation, put us down for it. We started to develop the team in advance. For this, a team has to be ready ahead of time. You have to prepare in advance.”

The Redlands Extra Team opened play with a 3-0 win over Palos Verdes and then played to a 2-2 tie against Santa Monica. After that, however, Redlands reeled off six straight wins in defeating Quartz Hill (1-0), Camarillo (1-0), Santa Ana (1-0), Garden Grove (1-0), and South Redondo (1-0).

Redlands’ tournament ended in the semifinals with a 1-0 loss to Palos Verdes.

“The competition really had a lot of different styles,” Perez said. “We had some teams that attacked us with lobs and we had some teams that tried through possession. We tried to stay balanced in everything we did. It depended on who we played and we did just enough to win some games.”

Next up for Redlands is a possible trip to Europe. Perez said he’d like the team to take part in the AYSO’s Cultural Exchange program.